Bangladeshi woman, rescued in 2015, returns home

A 38-year-old Bangladeshi woman, who was rescued by the West Bengal police in 2015 after being found wandering aimlessly, was today sent home thanks to a collaborative effort of the police, civil society and judicial system.
Solma Begum was found by the police in April, 2015 at Sarati village in Hooghly district and was detected to be suffering from mental illness after a medical examination.
She was subsequently sent to an NGO-run home for treatment.
"Today she was handed over to the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) authorities. The NGO, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), got in touch with us and after the completion of all the bureaucratic and diplomatic procedures, she was handed over to the Bangladeshi authorities," PSR Anjaneyulu, Inspector General of BSF's South Bengal Frontier told PTI.

According to CHRI officials, Solma's case is an example of the plight of many innocent civilians caught in the bureaucratic tangle on both sides of the border.
After counselling, Solma began to recover and was able to recall her family. As a result, the head counsellor of the home could contact her family and procure all the requisite documents. Bangladesh Legal Aid Services Trust (BLAST) then contacted CHRI.

After following it up with the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata and various visits to the state Home Department, Solma's nationality was verified and a repatriation order issued in December last.

It took over a year and persistent advocacy by CHRI and its partners, along with government officials, the civil society and media, before she could be repatriated.
"This is a heart-warming story of how everybody got together to help the woman go home," Madhurima Dhanuka of CHRI said.